Electric socket



J. HOHL v ELECTRIC 50cm Filed March 27, 1923 \\\\\mw////A INVENTOR JOHN 'HOHL ATTORN Y Patented Mar. 23, 1926 Uiili'i'ED STATES JOHN HOT-IL, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC SQCKET.

. Application filed March 27, 1923. Serial No. 627,947.

constructions there is usually a cap which serves as a mounting for a lamp cord or as a means of attachment to a fixture and a body portion for containing a switch or acconnnodating a lamp base.

The main object of my invention is to so construct the parts 01" such a device that they may be readily connected and readily separated, when intended, but in which theparts are clearly so connected that they cannot be accidentally or unintentionally sepa rated.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, 1 have sought to connect the parts in such a way that they are automatically locked together when a lamp base or the lik is inserted and so that the parts of the socket can not be separated when the lamp base or other current consuming device is inserted. y

In the simple preferred form herein illustrated, I have provided interlocking parts and a latch bolt which is automatically actuated by the lamp base, current tap or similar base. v

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a construction embodying the improvements of my invention, showing a lamp base in position and parts of the socket locked together, the socket being shown on the plane of the line 11 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the switch-carrying portion of the socket.

Fig. 3 is an interior end view of the cap of the socket detached.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of "he body of the socket and attached parts on the plane of the line lca of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective View of the latch bolt.

The shell or casing of the socket may be formed of any suitable material, for instance, molded insulation, and has a cap portion 6 and a body portion 7 which preferably have interfitting flanges. The cap is provided with circuit terminal members 8 cam 21.

and 9 suitably secured in place, these terminal members are provided with circumferentially extending offset fingers 10 and 11 lapted to engage corresponding oiiset portions of the brackets 12 and 13, which are carried by the portion T of the socket. These brackets 12 and 13 may be secured suitably in the body, as, for instance, by one or more screws 1 1- and 15. The parts are adapted to be connected by a longitudinal movement of the body of the socket with respect to the cap and a relative rotational movement of approximately ninety degrees (90), the fingers 10 and 11 and brackets 12 and 13 being designed to permitor" this limited relative movement.

In the construction shown, I have provided a switch having two spring contacts 16 a d 17 mounted in: the body of the socket. The contact 16 is clamped to the body by the foot of the bracket 12 and the contact 17 is secured in place by means of the foot of the yoke 18 and the screw 19. The yoke 18 also atlords a support for the key spindle 20, which carries the loose contact maker or I-hav'e shown the invention as applied to a screw shell type of socket having the center contact 22 secured by the screw 19 and having the screw shell 23, which may be either molded in place or secured by means of one ofthe screws 15. The screw base as may be considered as typifying .either a lamp base, a current tap or other screw base for some form of current consuming or conducting devic The latch member is in the form of a bolt carried by the body of the socket and having an operating spring 26, which tends to resilientlyhold the bolt in the position shown in Fig. in which the head 27 projects alongside the screw shell 23 in the path of movement of the screw base 2 1, The

finger 11 which is carried by the ca has a 28, which is 1n line with is pas the screw base 2 L is removed from the socket, the latch bolt is automatically re tracted and the parts of the socket may be readily separated by simply rotating the body with respect to the cap, and then pulling the body and cap apart.

As additional security for holding the parts of the socket yieldingly together when the latch bolt 25 is retracted, I may provide the brackets 12 and 13 with small bosses, such as 29 and provide the fingers l0 and 11 With recesses 30 adapted to receive them when the parts are in their interlocked relation, it being understood that the parts have sufficient resiliency to permit the engagement and disengagement of these pro jections and recesses.

I claim:

1. An electric socket. comprising a body adapted to receive a lamp base, a cap, means for detachably securing the cap to the body, and means responsive to the insertion of a lamp base in the body for locking the cap and body against separation.

2. An electric socket comprising a body adapted to receive a base, a cap for the body, members on the cap and body arranged to be rotated into interlocking engagement, and means operated by the insertion of a base in the body to prevent disengagement of said members.

3. An electric socket comprising a body adapted to receive a base, a cap. for the body, members on the cap and body ar ranged to be interlocked upon rotation of the cap relative to the. body in one direction, and means operated by the insertion of a base in the body to prevent disengagement of said members.

4. In combination, a body adapted to receive a lamp base, a cap for the body, engaging members to detachably secure the cap to the body, and a bolt moved by insertion of a lamp base into the body to lock said engaging members.

5. An electric socket comprising a body adapted to receive a lamp base, a cap, means for detachably securing the cap to the body including interlocking fingers, and means responsive to the insertion of a lamp base in the body for locking the cap and body against separation includinga bolt engagip g said fingers.

and spring pressed means operating While :51,

a base is in the body for preventing disengagement of said members.

7. An electric socket comprising a body adapted to receive a base, a cap for the body,

members on the cap and body arranged to be interlocked upon rotation of the cap relative to the body in one direction, and means operating While a base" is in the body for preventing disengagementot said members and automatically retractable when the base is withdrawn.

8. A lamp socket construction comprising a body part having a recess for receiving a lamp base, a cap part having circuit terminals, hooks carried by said parts and cannectible by relative rotary movement of'said parts and a latch bolt for preventing relative rotation of said parts, said bolt having an operating portion projecting into said recess.

9. In combination, a body adapted to receive a lamp base, a cap for the body, engaging members to detachably secure the cap to the body, and a bolt moved by a lamp base in the body to lock said engaging members.

10. An electric socket comprising a body adapted to receive a lamp base, a cap, means for detachably securing the cap to the body, and means for locking the cap and'body against separation including a spring pressed controlling member projecting into the socket opening in the path of the lamp base adapted to be operated by the insertion of a lamp base and adapted to be automatically released when the lamp base is removed.

11. A lamp socket comprising a body part having a recess for receiving a lamp base, a cap part having circuit terminals, two pairs of interlocking conductors carried by said parts and adapted to be connected to gether by relative longitudinal and rotative movements 01 the cap and body and a spring pressed latch bolt engaging one pair of said interlocking conductors to prevent relative rotation of said parts said latch bolt having an operatingpart projecting into said recess and adapted to be engaged and operated by a lamp base inserted in said recess.

' JOHN HOHL. 

